In The Passionate Teacher, Ron Fried describes the Game of School (GOS) as what happens when teachers and students forsake intellectual work and instead engage in their classes as rituals. Take this opportunity to consider this chapter in light of some of the the other experiences that you've had this semester. What elements of the game of school are you seeing in your placements? How have you seen teachers fight the game of school in their classes? What similarities, if any, did you see between the descriptions of American classes in the Teaching Gap and the Game of School? Finally, what impact will this description of the GOS have on your own approach to teaching as expressed in your teaching philosophy?
In my observations I have seen various examples of the Game of School. Seniors who have a few more months until graduation and are taking AP Chemistry don't work very hard. They work hard enough to get a passing grade but aren't taking it seriously and preparing for what college will be like. Other seniors who have already been accepted to the college of their choice are slowing giving up on acing their classes. Some teacher I have observed also play along by telling students to just stay seated and not be too loud until the bell rings and the period is over. The teachers aren't totally disengaged but they have also found ways to get around the true intellect behind school. They will hand out a worksheet and have students mindlessly fill in the blanks or work in partners to copy definitions from a textbook. The one way I have seen teachers fight the game of school is the Science Fair. Every junior has to participate in the Science Fair that occurs every winter. They are allowed to choose their own experiment and are advised throughout the process by their science teacher. This is fighting the game of school because it is an intellectual activity that encourages students to perform an experiment that they find intriguing. Although the students are required to do this, from what I have observed, most students find this interesting and really put the effort in to make their project a success.
I believe that the game of school is a reality in every district. I look back to my days in high school and I realize that I was playing along, going through the motions, and doing whatever it took to graduate. It's sad to realize this because it is just like the ideas discussed in the Teaching Gap. Teaching is a cultural activity and because of this, it is very difficult to cause change in such a deeply rooted and tangled web. Even if one teacher breaks the mold and alters the way that teaching is done, it is not enough to change the culture behind American teaching. The game of school will never change, sad as it is, because it is hard wired in students from their first day of kindergarten. In my own teaching I want to remember that it will take a lot more than acknowledging the existence of the game of school to make its effects dissipate. But I can try different ways to increase the students' intrinsic motivations for learning and hope that I succeed in changing a few students points of view. Just having a real conversation about the reason they are in school, that they are in my science classroom, may bring to light the idea that school shouldn't be something to get through. I want students to see that life is all about learning new things each and everyday.
In my observations I have seen various examples of the Game of School. Seniors who have a few more months until graduation and are taking AP Chemistry don't work very hard. They work hard enough to get a passing grade but aren't taking it seriously and preparing for what college will be like. Other seniors who have already been accepted to the college of their choice are slowing giving up on acing their classes. Some teacher I have observed also play along by telling students to just stay seated and not be too loud until the bell rings and the period is over. The teachers aren't totally disengaged but they have also found ways to get around the true intellect behind school. They will hand out a worksheet and have students mindlessly fill in the blanks or work in partners to copy definitions from a textbook. The one way I have seen teachers fight the game of school is the Science Fair. Every junior has to participate in the Science Fair that occurs every winter. They are allowed to choose their own experiment and are advised throughout the process by their science teacher. This is fighting the game of school because it is an intellectual activity that encourages students to perform an experiment that they find intriguing. Although the students are required to do this, from what I have observed, most students find this interesting and really put the effort in to make their project a success.
I believe that the game of school is a reality in every district. I look back to my days in high school and I realize that I was playing along, going through the motions, and doing whatever it took to graduate. It's sad to realize this because it is just like the ideas discussed in the Teaching Gap. Teaching is a cultural activity and because of this, it is very difficult to cause change in such a deeply rooted and tangled web. Even if one teacher breaks the mold and alters the way that teaching is done, it is not enough to change the culture behind American teaching. The game of school will never change, sad as it is, because it is hard wired in students from their first day of kindergarten. In my own teaching I want to remember that it will take a lot more than acknowledging the existence of the game of school to make its effects dissipate. But I can try different ways to increase the students' intrinsic motivations for learning and hope that I succeed in changing a few students points of view. Just having a real conversation about the reason they are in school, that they are in my science classroom, may bring to light the idea that school shouldn't be something to get through. I want students to see that life is all about learning new things each and everyday.